₦airaland Forum

pastor mmadu: Rochas Dude, Ʊ Bleep up...even if the seat ȋ̝̊̅§ reserved for Obi, wats d big deal? He was dre b4 Ʊ ƒσя crying out loud. He is ur host Åηϑ Ʊ knw it. The man celebrating is 4rm his state, Åηϑ d other seat ȋ̝̊̅§ for d governor whose state ȋ̝̊̅§ d venue. What if every governor iπ that arena wants d same seat, will Ʊ ppl lap each other? Ozoemena

Nna which skol u go sef? Na same art. wen I read,u sef read?

Yomieluv: Amen,no mind those riffraffs called ibos.
God made a mistake by creating that tribe.

Tink outta d box

jennykadry: Damn. Genny is not aging well at all.

sista stop d hate

ItsModella: Michelle is classier.

class is permanent! *NOcontest*

Jarus: Now my observation and comments:

1, If Nigeria had gone to AFCON 1996 and 1996, Rashidi would have scored at least 5 more that would have brought his tally to 42

2, I don't see Rashidi's record being broken in the next 20 years. Martins showed some promise at the beginning but he has also reached his twilight in SE

3, Many Nigerians that call Yakubu names will be surprised that he is Nigeria's 3rd highest goal scorer.

4, I see IK Uche overtaking Martins and Yakubu, and possibly Odegbami, to become Nigeria's 2nd or 3rd highest goal scorer in history.

5, Can we ever produce another Yekini?

6, Why don't we hear or read about this Oyakherua, who is Nigeria's all-time 5th highest goal scorer? Scored that many

7, With what we hear about Muda Lawal, I would have thought he scored more than 12 goals for Nigeria.

D Oyarekhua fellow cud be into oda tings and jst won't do naija futbal politricks. D family name is quite popular in auchi

Josh090: I don't know if he's Yoruba but he's from irra in kwara state, not Edo.

Yak is frm ikabigbo in etsako west local govt of edo state.

Movingcoil: and u ur mind is jobful and rerespectful abi... Amu idide instead of telling us say ur gf dey bully u and u no get anoda option on her 2 get anoda woman, u dey here dey talk trash from ur anal pore.
No try dat jobless and disrespectful trash again

Buddy, a playa lyk me is neva scared to replace a punana... in short na ma babe i de pity fo cos i knw she neva eva trusts me and each tym she try d snoopin option, i de fall ha hand yakata. stop usin urself as a model to judge me **u'dig**

emalekuo: but can kill you

Wrong! Snooping kills faster especailly wen u least expect d disappointment. I'm prepared fo anytin yet stil believes in ha as d best

ivorybabe88: It wont hurt u now, but it will later, id rather find out sooner then later where i c an figure out a way to deal with the problem or drop the dude ( depends on how emotionally involved i am)

Sweetie, it won't hurt me later cos i love wit ma brain not ma heart... I can always knw thru oda means wen she start dancin etighi to anoda nigga's kukere song! I will nt snoop to knw wots goin on in ma woman's lyf, else ma smartness is useless!!! Snooping is fo jobless and disrespectful minds

ajanaku2: You are a B'itch A'ss Nigger!

indeed!

My fiancee is d queen of snooping.she does it in a provocative manner den cmes baq to fight me ova ha findings. I neva check hers cos 'wat u dnt knw won't hurt u'

THE Cross River State Government, yesterday challenged the Federal Government over claims that there were no fresh evidence to challenge the International Court of Justice, ICJ, judgment of 2002 ceding Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.

In a statement, it said it was not true that no fresh facts were presented to the presidential committee.
Political stakeholders in Cross River State and some of the committee members were also peeved by the declaration by the AGF that the government would not be appealing the decision.

Emotion overflowed in the Cross River State House of Assembly, yesterday, as members called for the impeachment of President Goodluck Jonathan should he not countermand the AGF at the end of today.

In Abuja, however, emotion was more subdued as stakeholders from within and around the region expressed mixed feelings on the declaration of the AGF that Nigeria would not be appealing the judgment.

Adoke, it was learnt, successfully pushed his case that there was no material evidence to retrieve Bakassi from Cameroon despite a presidential directive for the country to appeal the judgment of the International Court of Justice, ICJ, which awarded the disputed territory to Cameroon 10 years ago, today.


A man petting his daughter who was crying for attention as Bakassi Peninsula indigenes awaited solution of their problems at the Ikang Resettlement Camp, Akpabuyo Local Government Area, Cross River State, yesterday.

Following consultations with the National Assembly leadership and other stakeholders last Wednesday, President Goodluck Jonathan had directed a committee comprising stakeholders from the National Assembly, the National Boundary Commission, among others, to prepare the grounds for an urgent appeal to the ICJ.

Resolving the problem

At the meeting in the Presidential Villa, the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, had reportedly summarised what emerged were three options by the National Assembly on how to resolve the problem. The options were to go to war, do nothing or seek a review of the judgment. Senator Mark, it also emerged, inclined himself towards the third option with nearly all present at the meeting agreeing that it was best for Nigeria to uphold its interests primarily ahead of whatever is the opinion of the international community.

At the end of the meeting that Wednesday, an eight-man committee comprising select legislators from Cross River State including Senators Victor Ndoma Egba, SAN, Senator Bassey Otu who represented what was until today Bakassi in the Senate, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Rep. Nnena Ukeje,among others was mandated by the president to prepare the grounds for an immediate appeal.

However, when the committee members gathered at the residence of Senator Ndoma-Egba for a meeting, animosity immediately developed as members of the committee were angered by what they claimed was a dilution of the assignment given the committee by the president.

Adoke, it was learnt, told the committee members that the mandate of the committee was to pursue a review of the human rights contents of the judgment and not to appeal the territorial handover of Bakassi to Cameroon.

Faced with a deadlock, it was suggested that the committee members revert to their principals, that is Senator Mark for the legislators and President Jonathan for Adoke for a confirmation of the mandate of the committee. It was learnt that both President Jonathan and Senator Mark agreed that the mandate of the committee was for a review of the judgment but the body language of the presidency officers according to committee members was that a review would not go ahead.

FG lied, says CRS govt

Countering assertions by the AGF that there was no evidence to demand a review and assertions of lack of time, the Cross River State Government in a statement issued by its Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Attah Ochinke said:

1. Last night the Federal Government through the Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke announced its decision not to seek a review of the ICJ judgment on Bakassi despite a preponderance of oppinions to the contrary.

2. The Federal Government adduced severally reasons for its decision, including the claim that the Committee set up by President Goodluck Jonathan could not get new information from the proponents for a review to warrant seeking a review of the judgment.

3. While Cross River should not be seen as joining issues with the Federation Government, it is however, pertinent to state our own side of the story for the sake of posterity.

4. First, it must be emphasised that for us in Cross River Bakassi is not about oil; it is about the people.

5. Having said that, I regret to say that it is not true that new facts were not made available to the committee that would have compelled Nigeria to seek a review of the ICJ judgment. If anything, the Federal Government decision is coming after several days of frenzied activity towards applying for a review of the judgment. While we concede that the Federal Government has the prerogative not to apply for a review, we find the reasons given for that decision most unfortunate in the least.

6. A lot of work was done on this and about seven grounds were raised upon which the government could have based a review. And these were well documented, copies of which we have for any further scrutiny.

7. To say that there were no fresh facts to apply for review is to insist that the Nigerian Bar Association, the Institute of International Affairs, the several professional bodies and the National Assembly that called for the review acted in total ignorance.

8. It must be stated that since Bakassi was a Nigerian territory, the Federal Government also had the responsibility of looking for new information that would warrant a review. It is therefore, baffling when it said proponents of a review failed to furnish it with new information.

9. To convince the Federal Government that facts exist upon which the application could have been made, an international law firm based in London was briefed to examine the case and advice. The firm did this and advised that there are sufficient facts upon which a review may be based; more importantly the firm prepared the papers for Nigeria to file at the ICJ. All the Federal Government needed to do was to simply dispatch the papers for filing.

10. The claim that seeking a review will tarnish Nigeria’s image in the committee of nations is also very unfortunate.

11. Several countries applied for a review of similar judgments delivered against them without losing credibility. El Salvador against Honduras in 2002 applied for a review of a judgment given almost ten years earlier on September 11, 1992. The application for review of the judgment in Yugoslavia and Bosnia and Herzegovina case was presented in 2001 for a judgment delivered in July, 1996.

The ICJ statute provides that an application for a review cannot be entertained unless the party applying first complies with the judgment prior to submitting the application for a review. So the fact that Nigeria had complied with the judgment is the ground that should qualify us to apply for a review and should not be the reason why we should be ashamed to do what is necessary to protect Nigerians.”

Another member of the committee also rebuffed suggestions of shortness of time given by the presidency team, saying that the superiority of the fresh facts would have expressly reverted the peninsula to Nigeria.

“We had facts Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw showed to us including that although the British signed the 1913 Anglo-German treaty, the German ambassador to Britain, Prince Lichnowsky stated that his country did not sign the treaty before the first world war broke out which rendered it inchoate, meaning that Cameroon and Nigeria were citing an illegal document.

“It was unknown to both Nigeria and Cameroon that the treaty was inchoate and was not recongised in the 1919 treaty. There were also revelations by Prof. Walter Ofanogoro that the April 1893 boundary between Nigeria and Cameroon was valid and they were internationally recognised.”

C-River House members protest

Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Chief Larry Odey, at the end of the session of the House led members on a protest march to Governor Liyel Imoke at the Government House.

He said that the reports in the newspapers, yesterday, were contrary to the directive of Mr. President that the eight-man committee should pursue the review of the judgment.

Receiving the lawmakers, Imoke said he had no confirmation as at the time of the protest that any appeal had been sent to the ICJ from the Federal Government for a review of the judgment and that the only thing he knew was that the window of opportunity to appeal would expire by mid night today which should be the last chance.

He, however, appealed that the issue should be carefully managed and should not be politicized even as he told them that the state lacked the locus to file any action at the ICJ, adding that the consequence of the judgment on the people was significant and that to the best of his knowledge, not much had been done over the matter.

The governor advised them to be calm and also understand that there were processes and procedures to follow such a matter, adding that though one end of the matter may have been reached, there were still other opportunities that could be followed.

Call for impeachment

Some Hopuse of Representatives members before the protest march, had called for the impeachment of President Jonathan over alleged breach of the oath of office which he swore to uphold and protect.

One of the initiators of the call, Joseph Bassey, representing Calabar South Local Government Area, said there was no need to allow the president to remain in office for his alleged treason to the country and that Nigerians should, by the action of the president, not allow him to hold any other position in the country.

He said: “We have lost confidence in the presidency. The president himself has failed. We have also proposed to the National Assembly that by tomorrow (today) if he does not file any appeal to the ICJ, the National Assembly should commence an impeachment against him, because he has betrayed his people he swore to protect.

Bassey who said he was an Efik son, but has Bakassi as his ancestral home, further said: “I feel so sad and I always make this known to the people. The issue of Bakassi I knew will not be resolved because of the interest involved. Bakassi was sold out by the stakeholders of Nigeria especially former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Donald Duke and a former senator.

“They sold out Bakassi for their personal interest and the president of Nigeria today, Goodluck Jonathan, does not want to have a loggerhead with all these big wigs. They are still playing politics with Cross Riverians, playing politics with our inheritance, playing politics with our own origin; it is something that was very sad.

“Now that we have lost Bakassi, what is the way forward? I will like to say that Bakassi is not gone, the ICJ appeal might go, Bakassi is not gone, this is peoples inheritance, we will always go back to Bakassi. By tomorrow we in the Cross River State House of Assembly have already proposed, we do not have much to say, most of us are ready to sacrifice to go on hunger strike and pray.

it shows that the neck of the woman is bent. I think the mistake was done ten years ago by the then government, so I absolve the present government.”

Reacting to the development yesterday, Senator Ewa-Henshaw described the situation as regrettable noting that it appeared that some persons had made up their minds to cede Bakassi believing that nobody will challenge their action.

Henshaw said: “I think it is very regrettable the position our government has taken. It looks like there are people that have determined that Bakassi must be sold out by all means and there is nothing they believe anybody can do about it.

Nigerians have not heard the last

“The president set up a committee on Wednesday night last week in which we understand that the mandate was for them to obtain the necessary papers and prepare documents to file, then suddenly we heard that there was not going to be any filing. We as a people, we are determined that this will not be the end. Nigerians have not heard the last on the issue concerning Bakassi

“We also in the Bakassi Support Group have consulted solicitors and the solicitors had produced papers for us that we could have filed if government officials were not able to do that. All they needed to do was to ask for the papers so that they could go and file. The papers had been prepared and we are going to publish it to the world and Nigerians in particular to see and let Nigerians ask the government why they have refused to file the appeal, what the problem is, what kind of promise did we make to the Cameroons, to the international community, to the International Court of Justice.

“If by the wisdom of those that drew this statute that sometimes it will be necessary for litigant to come and produce evidence of fundamental nature, what is wrong with Nigeria taking advantage of it. Let them ask Nigerians what commitment was made and to whom. Was it so strong that the fate and well-being of Nigerians must be sacrificed to honour commitment?”

Rep Nkoyo Toyo in her reaction told Vanguard yesterday that her people would not give up the fight for justice.

She said: “Much as we are not happy that the Federal Government did not use the option of engaging the International Court of Justice (ICJ), as a basis for further addressing the problems of the Bakassi people, our belief is that the proposal which was mentioned in the statement of the Attorney-General yesterday morning has opened up a new vista for engaging even the ICJ and many other United Nations bodies including the Secretary General.

“This, therefore, means that we have to go back and organize ourselves and take many other things into account. This is because it is obvious to us from what has happened so far that the Federal Government would not go out on its own to protect the interest of the Bakassi people. We have to protect our people’s interest and then come to present it to the Federal Government.

“You would have expected that it is the Federal Government that should seek to find out if there is a problem and then consider what to do about it. But this is not the case now since the Federal Government is too busy to address problems concerning its citizens. As a result of this, the ordinary citizens of Bakassi have to go and find out new facts which they can present to the ICJ. This is how the Nigerian Government operates now.

“So we have to go and search for those affected who would then come and tell us their stories and present the fresh facts that are needed.

“My only worry is that the Attorney-General spoke about not wanting to create diplomatic problems for the nation. I do not know what those diplomatic problems are. He has also said that what we have talked about so far do not constitute fresh facts; I do not know what kind of facts we shall present before he would become convinced that we have fresh facts to warrant asking for a review of our case before ICJ.

“At this stage we are appealing that the failures of the Green Tree Agreement which would expire by August 2013, should be addressed.

“We are hereby giving them a one year notice and they should not say that the people of Bakassi came late”.

FG has failed Cross River people — Monarch

The Paramount Ruler of Efut nation, Muri Munene Effiong Mbukpa, said it was unfortunate that the Federal Government had failed the people of Bakassi and indeed the people of Cross River State over the decision to cede their ancestral land to Cameroon.

Mbukpa said everybody had hoped and relied on the Federal Government to start the process of filing documents for the review of the ICJ ruling which did not consider human beings and the right to self determination before giving its judgment.

The monarch said even if the Nigerian government would abandon the people, there was the belief that God will not abandon them and commended the Cross River State government for taking the pains all the time with the meager resources to take care of the displaced people.

Call for the resignation and trial of Adoke

Meanwhile some members of the Cross River State House of Assembly yesterday called for the resignation of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Bello Adoke, for allegedly misinforming the nation that there were no fresh facts that would warrant appealing against the ICJ judgment.



http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/10/bakassi-c-river-challenges-adoke-says-we-presented-new-facts/

Shaw007: why is pit-bull not remixing 'yolo' abi 'take banana'

Offcoz he's workn wit daniel anderson's songs. Jst thkn y he won't spit on his latest single

[quote author=Ji_sun_pack]Was Oliver Twist totally and independently produced by Don Jazzy? Why haven't we hear any hit song from his Mavin crew?

The good thing here is that this song will still fetch more millions for Dbanj while most of you hating mongrels go to bed with empty stomach as usual.

l kinda like how Dbanj keeps sending ballistic missiles to his enemy camps to keep the poor sods busy.[/quote]Take banana til yu go yoo...

Question is; why is pitbul not remixzin oyato and jsleek' beats??

I was lyk wtf is he showing the world about us but again on a second thot i was lyk; this is what we are right now anyhow we see it thru... We shud learn to live with the truth.

thing is FG confirmed there was a seize fire agreement with BH ind past week/weeks to allow negotiation wit BH. Now we hear a raid happnd in kano wit one claiming arrest and other claiming death... All of des amaze me like some children play. Who do we believe and wat d hell is going on ere? issorai, waitn fo sombori to gve us d usual hullabaloo. 9jaihailthee

just to inform many of u on here...dis morning don jazzy started some kinda kudos movement, where he gave kudos shouts to so many peeps frm jjc to some of his twitter followers. Dis has got nuffn to do wit him crying ova dbanj's excapades else-where. He even admitted on der dat solar plexus didnt do well ind market... Dis guy is simply down to earth, pray God keeps guiding his carrier

dejailurrenzz: @brixton,
thumps-up ƒσя ya informative post, i've really come τ̅☺ L♥√ع ‎​♌ know much abt wildlife by stayin-glued τ̅☺ NatGeoWild ‎​ãήϑ animal planet channels documentaries

Tanks mate fo d commendation, quite intersting as well as intriguing to learn about des animals.

Wayne Rooney has lifted the lid on Sir Alex Ferguson’s infamous ‘hairdryer’ temper - and revealed the Manchester United manager’s most explosive tirade.
Ferguson’s dressing-room temper losses are legendary, with former United striker Mark Hughes coining the nickname the ‘hairdryer’ to describe the ferocity of their blast.
And United striker Rooney, currently sidelined with a gashed thigh, revealed how Ferguson can still strike fear into players when he loses it - despite claims the 70-year-old Scot has mellowed with age.
“There’s nothing worse than getting the ‘hairdryer’ from Sir Alex,” said Rooney.
“When it happens, the manager stands in the middle of the room and loses it at me. He gets right up in my face and shouts.
“It feels like I’ve put my head in front of a BaByliss Turbo Power 2200. It’s horrible.
“I don’t like getting shouted at by anyone. It’s hard for me to take, so sometimes I shout back.
"I tell him he’s wrong and I’m right.”
Rooney gave the fascinating insight into Ferguson’s combustible nature in his new autobiography My Decade, which marks his 10 years of playing in the Premier League.
The United striker revealed Ferguson blowing his top is the manager’s way of maintaining control within the dressing-room and ensuring his authority remains unchallenged.
Rooney also revealed how some players have been ruined by a blast from Ferguson, their confidence shattered by the verbal assault, many of whom never recover from the experience.
“It spurs some of the lads on, but it crushes others,” said Rooney.
“I’ve seen the manager shout and scream at people and when they’ve gone back on the pitch their heads have dropped. They’ve lost it.”
Rooney recalled how one of Ferguson’s most explosive ‘hairdryer’ moments came after United lost 1-0 at Celtic in a Champions League group game in 2006.
Former United striker Louis Saha had missed a last-minute penalty to snatch a draw, Ferguson’s men eventually going down 1-0 to Gordon Strachan’s side.
Ferguson and Strachan endured a stormy relationship, dating back to their time as manager and player at Aberdeen.
The United boss was furious his players had lost to Strachan’s side and gave Saha both barrels in the dressing-room afterwards, revealed Rooney.
“It’s the worst ‘hairdryer’ I’ve seen,” said Rooney. “He’s in Louis’ face, shouting and screaming.
“But Louis isn’t the only one getting an earful.
"The manager knows I’ve been negotiating a new deal with the club and he saves some for me, 'Players wanting more money from the club and new deals - you don’t deserve anything after that performance!’”
Despite the blast, Rooney acknowledged that his performance at Celtic did not merit the new, improved contract he would eventually sign later that season.
Rooney also revealed how Ferguson tore into his players just moments before they were handed the Premier League trophy at Old Trafford after ending Chelsea’s two-year title reign.
United won the title in the 2006-07 season with two games to go, but Ferguson lost it when his side went down 1-0 to West Ham in the final game of the season at Old Trafford.
After the final whistle, with United’s players preparing to be presented with the Premier League trophy in front of a packed Old Trafford, Ferguson tore a strip off his players for the defeat.
“Most sides would be celebrating in the dressing-room, getting ready for the champagne and the photos,” recalled Rooney.
“Not us. We’re staring at the floor like school kids, the manager giving us the ‘hairdryer’.
“After the rollicking it takes a while before everyone cheers up enough to put their Premier League-winning smiles back on.”


9ft tall Fergie to loom over Manchester

Manchester United plan to put up a 9ft statue of manager Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford.
The club has asked for planning permission to mount the bronze Fergie on a canopy to be built outside the North Stand, now named after the Red Devils' long-serving boss.
Sculptor Philip Jackson, an award-winning fellow Scot, has been chosen to create the statue of the 70-year-old football legend.
A United spokesman said the statue would be “a fitting way to mark the manager’s 25 years in charge”.



http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/manchester-united-alex-fergusons-hairdryer-1322878

Chegunn: I agree with you, the brits life is conservative and boring but even d yanks we copy are lavish but not reckless. Most of their politicians may not use the bus or train but they still take the taxi even some of their richest men take the taxi to meetings, and if they are not you hardly see them in a convoy maybe with a driver n probably an orderly. It is in Ng you'll see a governor with almost 20 vehicles in his convoy with mopol, civil defence,sss,soldiers all following him. The day i saw Dimeji Bankole(when he was still speaker) ehn i thought the world was coming too an end, at first we were hearing siren then we saw two power bikes about three mins later we saw an empty 30 seater bus on which was written "the speaker federal house of reps abuja" after which different vehicles followed. So my point is even the usa we copy the president's convoy doesn't get followed by anybody else except the men of the secret service.

that is the word! we re simply reckless and wasteful!!!

Chegunn: i disagree with, it is not when elections come they interact with the citizenry. It is a known fact that london mayor Borris Johnson takes the tube and even after coming out pedals a bicycle to work. We all know that David Cameron rides a bicycle to the parliament. It's not like they are holed in one rock we don't know the location or one legislative quarters like that. Even the white house is open for touring, i mean we all know what the oval office looks like.

We actually dont follow brit trends in many of our general lifestyle esp governance in nig, we ar more comfy looking up to the yanks... A nigerian politician will not go to work on bike or pub trans, not saying its right but we look up to the yanks and they dont go to work on bikes... As for Aso rock tour, you also have in mind that we have security challenges in nigeria and allowing a section of aso rock to tourists cud tripple bh bombings and oda kinda menace around the seat of power. We shud be fair wen comparing our nascent democracy to dat of established countries. We have leaders dat interact with the populace freely and others that simply do the oga/servant style (God is watching them all in HD)

Chegunn: i disagree with, it is not when elections come they interact with the citizenry. It is a known fact that london mayor Borris Johnson takes the tube and even after coming out pedals a bicycle to work. We all know that David Cameron rides a bicycle to the parliament. It's not like they are holed in one rock we don't know the location or one legislative quarters like that. Even the white house is open for touring, i mean we all know what the oval office looks like.

We actually dont follow brit trends in many of our general lifestyle esp governance in nig, we ar more comfy looking up to the yanks... A nigerian politician will not go to work on bike or pub trans, not saying its right but we look up to the yanks and they dont go to work on bikes... As for Aso rock tour, you also have in mind that we have security challenges in nigeria and allowing a section of aso rock to tourists cud tripple bh bombings and oda kinda menace around the seat of power. We shud be fair wen comparing our nascent democracy to dat of established countries. We have leaders dat interact with the populace freely and others that simply do the oga/servant style (God is watching them all HD)

i am from afenmai land in edo state... we have groundnut soup and assorted bushmeat with pounded yam or eba, also beans soup and fresh fish with matched rice

@op,its an election yr ind usa... prior to 2003 elections in nig, then presido OBJ walked around ketu freely and even had a long chat with an old woman. Other examples abound e.g Yar'adua smoking cigarete in his local mallam kiosk, Rochas of Imo, Adams of Edo etc etc

ABUJA—THE nation’s 36 state governors have temporarily patched up the crack in their unity and possible loss of their domineering influence with a resolution to seek more consultations on the establishment of state police.

Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Abubakar, yesterday, expressed opposition to the establishment of state police saying that it would be used by the governors for political vendetta.

Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State also yesterday, amplified reasons for the opposition of northern governors to the establishment of state police.

Contrary to claims that the divisive proposal for the establishment of state police led to the low attendance at the Wednesday night meeting of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, Vanguard learnt yesterday that the issue did not come up after all.

Governor Chibuke Amaechi, the Chairman of the NGF, Vanguard learnt, did not allow the issue to be discussed at the meeting which was attended by only ten governors and with eight others being represented by their deputies.

Governor Amaechi at the meeting was said to have ruled that the governors should go and do more consultations with stakeholders in order to allow a harmonious decision to be taken.

“Amaechi resolved that since the issue was becoming too cantankerous that the governors should go and do more consultations on the issue,” an associate of one of the governors present at the meeting told Vanguard last night.


From left; Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State and Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and Chairman of Governors’ Forum, during a meeting of the governors in Abuja.

Prior to the meeting hosted by Governor Amaechi at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, a sharp division had emerged among the governors after their northern colleagues broke out from an earlier initiative to push for the establishment of state police.

The absence of the Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, Dr. Babangida Aliyu of Niger State at the NGF meeting, chaired and hosted by his Rivers State colleague, Chibuke Amaechi had elicited fears of a sharp division in the ranks of the governors. The meeting which lasted barely 90 minutes also did not produce a communiqué.

Aliyu’s absence was despite the fact that he was in Abuja on the morning of the meeting and held a function in the Niger State Governor’s Lodge which is a stone throw away from where Amaechi hosted the meeting in the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge.

Aliyu was represented at the meeting by his deputy. Aliyu it was learnt departed immediately for Minna following the inauguration of a peace panel instituted by Northern States Governors to study the state of insecurity in the region to attend a function in Minna where he was expected to present vehicles and equipment to security agencies.

An aide of the governor told Vanguard, yesterday: ”We had to leave for Minna immediately after the inauguration because of a previous appointment in Minna where the governor was to give out some vehicles to the Police.”

An aide of one of the northern governors reasserting the opposition to state police said yesterday: “We all know how governors have been accused of intimidating their opponents and you can see it in the way the conduct of the local government elections have been done where opposition parties were not given a free hand.

“So, you can imagine what will happen if the governors now have police in their hands, they will not allow their opponents to even contest,” an associate of one of the governors told Vanguard last night.

Besides the fear of the state police being used as a tool of political oppression, the northern governors it is claimed, are being accused of wanting the status quo to continue on the fear that they may not have enough funds to establish state police.

Governors present at the meeting were those of Rivers, Ekiti; Ondo; Ebonyi; Kaduna; Sokoto; Akwa Ibom; Kogi and Kano while the Deputy-Governors were those of Abia, Delta; Adamawa; Bayelsa; Nasarawa; Imo; Oyo and Lagos.



http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/08/state-police-how-amaechi-averted-crisis-in-governors-forum/

African Outlook gathered that the Nigerian identified as Olaolu Sunkanmi Femi and one of his friends were physically attacked in front of his apartment by four Ukrainian young men and two women who pulled them to the ground while hurling racist slurs on them.

According to eye witness account, Sunkanmi was said to have managed to get up and defended himself against the assailants with a glass from a broken bottle.

"It was while he was defending himself that police arrived at the scene and the Nigerian was subsequently arrested and charged with attempted murder of five people" a Nigerian embassy staff who has knowledge of the case told African Outlook, adding that the victim thus became an accused in a case which has become a celebrated case in Ukraine.

African Outlook gathered that Olasunkanmi has since been remanded in detention by the Ukrainian police who refused to take the case to court citing unavailability of the police to get an interpreter for him.

But the Nigerian students' community in Ukraine under the leadership of Osarumen David-Izevbokun, a Phd student in international relations has been working tirelessly to ensure justice for the Nigerian by organizing protests as well as drawing the attentions of the human right groups in Ukraine to the plight of Olasunkanmi who has spent almost seven months in jail without trial.

David-Izevbokun told African Outlook that he alongside other Nigerian students in conjunctions with some members of the Ukrainian human right groups staged a protest on April, 9 outside the Leninsky District Court in Luhanski demanding the release of Olasunkanmi.

The actions, according to David-Izevbokun has put the Ukraine police on the spot as the case came up for hearing on May 3. "We had a lot of media coverage on the protest " David-Izevbokun said, noting that he was sure the attention given the case may have prompted the May 3 court appearance of the suspect.

David-Izevbokun who was at the May 3, court hearing told African Outlook that Olasunkanmi appeared depressed when he showed up in court.

Many other Nigerian students spoken to by African Outlook however raised concern about the competence of the female lawyer: Ludmila Havrysh handling Olasunkanmi's case.

The Ukrainian lawyer was reported to have told protesters that her client has not been able to read the file material since it is all written in Ukrainian or Russian which he doesn’t understand and that was why her client had remained in jail.

"We heard she wanted to be paid $10,000 when she had not even been able to secure bail for her client who has been in detention for more than six months" an irate Nigerian told African Outlook wondering whether the lawyer was capable of defending Olasunkanmi.

Another source also told African Outlook that one of the attackers's family who has a connection with the Ukrainian police may have been the reason why the Nigerian student was being detained without trial.

"They went to the hospital and documents were secured for infliction of wounds. I learnt that one of the supposed victim (Ukrainian) has a police relative or parent, and so vowed to deal ruthlessly with Olasunkanmi" a Nigerian student quoted one narrator as saying while lamenting that the Nigerian embassy's representative came to visit Olasunkanmi in jail once but did not return again after the first visit.

But an embassy spokesperson who pleaded anonymity (because he is not authorized to comment on the case) told African Outlook that the Nigerian consulate had not abandoned the Nigerian to his fate "We are in torch with the Ukrainian authority and we have been doing everything to ensure the boy is released unconditionally using diplomatic channel" he said, adding that the Olasunkanmi was being charged for attempted murder, an offense which under Ukrainian law is not bailable.

"There are ways in which we handle cases like this so that we would not appear to be hostile or criticizing our host countries' laws" the embassy staff said while assuring that he was confident Olasunkanmi would be released soon.

When asked if the embassy has been able to secure the service of an attorney for the Nigerian student, the embassy staff said: "It is not within our mandate to pay for attorney's fees for any Nigerian in distress, you may check this out with other Nigerian embassies abroad, but we have been working with the Nigerian community leaders here to ensure that we do everything within our means to help Olasunkanmi in time of his need" the staff added hinting that the representative of the embassy was at the May 3 hearing.

In a related development African Outlook gathered that a 28-year-old Nigerian student of Kharkiv National Radio Electronic University is in intensive care unit with knife injuries to his neck following an attack on him by people believed to be racists.

Another 19-year-old Nigerian student from the Poltava Agrarian Academy is also lying critically ill in the Ukrainian hospital following knife injury inflicted on him by yet to be identified persons.

African Outlook gathered that the two Nigerian students were attacked late in the evenings by assailants who fled the scene immediately after the attacks.

The Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Ukraine are treating both cases as attempted murder motivated by racial intolerance.

Speaking on the two recent attacks, the Nigerian embassy said they were yet to be briefed on the case.


There's a #FreeOlaolu page on Facebook..you can go there to show support - Facebook.com/FreeOlaolu

if Nigerians can live in Cambodia then S.Sundan is like living in a neighbouring village from urs

Anti-Japanese protests have taken place in cities across China after Japanese nationalists raised their country's flag on disputed islands.

Thousands of people took to the streets in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and a number of other cities demanding that Japan leave the islands in the East China Sea.

In Shenzhen, some demonstrators attacked Japanese restaurants and smashed Japanese-made cars.

The islands are known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.

Early on Sunday, at least 10 activists swam ashore after a flotilla carrying about 150 people reached the Japanese-controlled islands.

The activists - who had earlier been denied permission to visit the islands - swam back to their boats and were being questioned by Japanese customs officials.

However, as news of the action spread, angry protests broke out across China.

In the south-eastern city of Shenzhen, a Japanese-branded police car was overturned and smashed with a metal bar.

Footage carried by Hong Kong Cable TV showed other Japanese-branded cars and restaurants being damaged.

Protesters waved Chinese flags, burned images of the Japanese flag and shouted slogans denouncing Japan's claims over the islands.

Bottles of water were thrown at police when they tried to calm protesters down.

"They [Japan] should return the islands to us and apologise," said one protester quoted by Reuters news agency.

No arrests were made, according to Cable TV.

In neighbouring Guangzhou, demonstrators gathered near the Japanese consulate calling on Tokyo to quit the islands.

In Shanghai, protesters held a banner reading "down with Japanese imperialism".

An estimated 200 demonstrators also marched through central Hong Kong to the Japanese consulate chanting anti-Japanese slogans, broadcaster RTHK reported.

In the south-western city of Chengdu, protests shut down a Japanese department store and a branch of the Japanese clothing store, Uniqlo.

The BBC's Martin Patience in Beijing says the outbreak of protests was almost certainly sanctioned by the Chinese authorities, as they were well policed.

In the past, the authorities have used anti-Japanese sentiment to deflect criticism of their rule, he says.

The Japanese launched their flotilla on Saturday, saying they wanted to commemorate the Japanese who died near the islands in World War II.

Early on Sunday, 10 members of the group swam ashore to one of the islets and waved Japanese flags, emulating pro-China activists who had made the same gesture during a previous trip.

One of the politicians on the flotilla, Kenichi Kojima, told AFP news agency: "I want to show the international community that these islands are ours. It is Japan's future at stake."

Earlier this week, pro-Chinese activists sailed to the disputed island chain from Hong Kong in a protest aimed at promoting Chinese sovereignty.

Some of the activists were deported by Japan, and others sailed away from the islands.

The disputed islands - which lie on a vital shipping lane and are surrounded by deposits of gas - are also claimed by Taiwan.

Rows over them have caused Sino-Japanese ties to freeze in the past.

In September 2010, relations plummeted after the arrest of a Chinese trawler captain near the islands.

The captain was accused of ramming two Japanese patrol vessels in the area, but Japan eventually dropped the charges against him.

China claims the islands have been a part of its territory since ancient times, but Japan says it took control of the archipelago in the late 1890s after making sure they were uninhabited.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19312226

Julian Assange has urged the US to end its "witch-hunt" against Wikileaks, in his first public statement since entering Ecuador's London embassy.

He also called for the release of Bradley Manning, who is awaiting trial in the US accused of leaking classified documents to the Wikileaks site.

Mr Assange spoke from a balcony at the embassy and thanked Ecuador's president, who has granted him asylum.

He faces extradition to Sweden over sexual assault claims, which he denies.

The 41-year-old said the United States must also stop its "war on whistleblowers".

He added: "The United States must vow that it will not seek to prosecute our staff or our supporters.

"The United States must pledge before the world that it will not pursue journalists for shining a light on the secret crimes of the powerful.

Mr Assange also said the United States was facing a choice between re-affirming the "revolutionary values it was founded on" or "dragging us all into a dangerous and oppressive world in which journalists fall silent under the fear of prosecution and citizens must whisper in the dark".

Legal battle

The US is carrying out an investigation into Wikileaks, which has published a mass of leaked diplomatic cables, embarrassing several governments and international businesses.

Alleged Wikileaks source Bradley Manning, 24, an intelligence analyst in the American army who served in Iraq, is alleged to have leaked US government cables to the whistle-blowing website. He is set to face a court martial.

In an interview for US television in 2010, Mr Assange denied any knowledge of Pte Manning.

Mr Assange began his speech by thanking his supporters, many of whom have been holding a vigil outside the building in Knightsbridge.

Speaking of the visit by police officers to the embassy on Wednesday, Mr Assange said: "Inside this embassy after dark, I could hear teams of police swarming up into the building through its internal fire escape. But I knew there would be witnesses and that is because of you.

"If the UK did not throw away the Vienna Conventions the other night it is because the world was watching and the world was watching because you were watching."

It is an established international convention that local police and security forces are not permitted to enter an embassy, unless they have the express permission of the ambassador.

The Foreign Office has said it remained committed to reaching a "negotiated solution" but following its obligations under the Extradition Act, it would arrest Mr Assange if he left the embassy.

'Binding obligation'

In 2010, two female ex-Wikileaks volunteers accused Mr Assange, an Australian citizen, of committing sexual offences against them while he was in Stockholm to give a lecture.

Mr Assange claims the sex was consensual and the allegations are politically motivated.

In a statement issued after the Ecuadorean decision to grant Mr Assange political asylum, Foreign Secretary William Hague said the UK was under a "binding obligation" to extradite him to Sweden.

Mr Assange entered the embassy after the UK's Supreme Court dismissed his bid to reopen his appeal against extradition and gave him a two-week grace period before extradition proceedings could start.

Ecuador's president Rafael Correa has suggested Mr Assange could co-operate with Sweden if assurances are given that there would be no extradition to a third country.

Mr Assange's balcony appearance occurred as foreign ministers from the Union of South American Nations were gathering in Ecuador's second city, Guayaquil, to discuss the diplomatic situation caused by the asylum decision.

Shortly before Mr Assange delivered his speech, his legal adviser Baltasar Garzon said the Australian had told lawyers to carry out "a legal action" protecting "the rights of Wikileaks [and] Julian himself".

Mr Garzon, a former judge, did not give specific details of the action but said it would also extend to "all those currently being investigated".

Barrister and former government lawyer, Carl Gardner, said Mr Assange's options were now severely limited.

"There's no legal action he can take now. All he can do is make these public calls for people to do things he would like them to do and play a waiting game with the British authorities.

"The British government is likely to think that time is on their side. It's Julian Assange who is stuck in this embassy. It's the Ecuadoreans who have the problem of him on their hands and perhaps one of them is likely to tire of the situation before Britain



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19310335

Julian Assange is expected to make a public statement later on the diplomatic row that has engulfed him since being granted asylum by Ecuador.

Wikileaks says its founder is to speak outside the Ecuadorean embassy in London, where he has been since June.

He faces extradition to Sweden over sexual assault claims, which he denies.

Ecuador's president has suggested Mr Assange could co-operate with Sweden if assurances are given that there would be no extradition to a third country.

The 41-year-old Australian - whose Wikileaks website has published a mass of leaked diplomatic cables embarrassing countries including the US - first walked into the embassy in Knightsbridge, asking for protection, two months ago.

Mr Assange entered the embassy after the UK's Supreme Court dismissed his bid to reopen his appeal against extradition and gave him a two-week grace period before extradition proceedings could start.

It is established international protocol that local police and security forces are not permitted to enter an embassy, unless they have the express permission of the ambassador.

Wikileaks supporters have gathered outside the embassy
On Thursday a post appeared on the Wikileaks Twitter feed which said: "ANNOUNCEMENT: Julian Assange will give a live statement infront of the Ecuadorian embassy, Sunday 2pm."

However, it is not clear precisely how this statement will be made and Mr Assange has been warned by the British authorities that he will be arrested when he leaves the embassy.

The BBC's Andrew Plant, outside the Ecuadorean embassy, says there has been much speculation about how Mr Assange might deliver his statement.

Our correspondent says the corridors and lifts inside the building, which is shared with Colombia, are communal and not part of the Ecuadorean embassy so police stationed in these areas could arrest Mr Assange before he appears outside.

Wikileaks' press feed also said Judge Baltasar Garzon, the head of Mr Assange's legal team, will speak outside the embassy from 11:30 BST, although it gives no indication of what he might say.

Large crowds, including members of the press and Wikileaks supporters, are gathering outside the embassy.

'Explicit threat'

The Sunday Times quotes sources close to Mr Assange who say he would be prepared to leave the embassy if guarantees are given by Sweden that he will not be extradited to the US.

His supporters claim he could face persecution and even the death penalty.

On Friday, Ecuador's President Rafael Correa used his weekly national address to say that the South American country had never said Mr Assange should not "answer to the Swedish justice system".

"What we have always asked for is a guarantee that there won't be a second extradition to a third country as that would put at risk Mr Assange's life and freedom."

Mr Correa said a letter from the British government that drew attention to the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987 was "intolerable" and an "explicit threat".

The act could allow the UK to potentially lift the embassy's diplomatic status to allow police to enter the building to arrest Mr Assange for breaching his bail terms.

Meanwhile, the Alba group of leftist Latin American nations - founded by Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez - has warned the UK government "it will face grave consequences around the world if it directly breaches the territorial integrity" of the embassy.

The UK Foreign Office has said the letter was sent to clarify "all aspects of British law that Ecuador should be aware of".

It has also said it would follow its obligations, under the Extradition Act, to arrest Mr Assange if he leaves the embassy.

Sweden, meanwhile, has said it is "unacceptable that Ecuador would want to halt the Swedish judicial process".

It wants to question Mr Assange over allegations that he sexually assaulted two female ex-Wikileaks volunteers while he was in Stockholm to give a lecture in 2010.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19310335